What’s the best job in Big Ten football? And where does it take a miracle to win?

Kirk Irwin / Getty Images

Have you seen the Shoe? It is the Big Ten’s ode to the Colosseum in Rome, the symbolic and almost literal center of a state that produces ballers from Youngstown to Cincinnati. No wonder the Buckeyes have won the Big Ten’s last two national titles. Ohio State has the league’s best facilities, top resources, a level-headed athletic director in Gene Smith and even “The Best Damn Band in the Land.” And there are no other Power-5 programs in the aptly named “Buckeye State.”

If the primary goal is to reach Indianpolis, you would want the path of least resistance. That would be the Big Ten West. You also would crave a program that attracts giant humans from in-state and lethal running backs from New Jersey. Add in a historic stadium where raucous fans “Jump Around” and a city that satisfies foodies and jet-skiers. Successors Bret Bielema, Gary Andersen and Paul Chryst were wise enough to use Barry Alvarez’s blueprint. The only negatives — academically-borderline recruits get rejected and the school has been unwilling to pay top dollar to retain assistants.

Athletic director Bill Moos believes Nebraska football is in an elite class, saying its uniform “should be worn with tremendous pride ... like a New York Yankees uniform. Or Green Bay Packers. Or Boston Celtics.”

Bob Devaney and Tom Osborne combined to win five national titles from 1970-97. But is Nebraska still an elite job? Where does it rank in the Big Ten?

Similar to our exercise for Big Ten basketball, the Tribune consulted with coaches and industry analysts to devise a list that reflects each school’s facilities, tradition, fan base and resources. We asked: If every Big Ten job opened up tomorrow and you had to win a conference title in the next five years, which job would you want to take?